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...🄰🅄🅃🄷🄾🅁...

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The morning light ascended, its brilliance scattering across the cold, empty laboratory.

As the sun's rays banished the lingering shadows, the heavy thud of the door swinging open echoed through the silence.

The woman entered, but the sight before her caused her eyes to widen in shock.

Her gaze darted frantically around the room, searching for the subject she expected to find—the man she had personally bound to the surgical bed only the night before.

"Bo-Boss..." Her voice fractured under the weight of sudden terror.

Shaking violently, she stumbled out of the room, racing to inform her superior of the vanished specimen. "Boss! Boss!"

She reached a private study and found him reclining on a leather couch, his legs crossed with practiced nonchalance.

"Boss..." she gasped, skidding to a halt in front of him.

He looked up, his expression unreadable. "What happened?"

"Boss, the man... he's missing," she stammered.

"WHAT?" His roar reverberated through the room. "HOW?"

"I don't know, Boss! I remember securing him myself, but the restraints are empty!" she confessed, her voice trembling.

The man flared with a sudden, primal rage.

He lunged forward, his hand snapping around her throat.

He squeezed, cutting off her air until she clawed at his grip.

With a snarl, he shoved her against the wall, lifting her off the floor by her neck.

"I gave you one simple task, and you couldn't even manage that! Shame on you!" He threw her down harshly; she collided with a nearby table, a low groan of pain escaping her as she hit the floor.

Despite the agony in her abdomen, she bowed her head. "I'm sorry, Boss."

Without a word, the man stormed out of the area.

The woman gathered herself slowly, limping as she followed him. "Boss, what will happen if he's wandering out there?" she asked tentatively.

He stopped in his tracks. "A disaster will occur."

She stared at him, trying to comprehend the gravity of his tone. "What do you mean, Boss?"

"Humanity will face extinction if we don't apprehend him immediately."

The color drained from her face.

She had known the experiment was dangerous, but she hadn't realized the stakes were apocalyptic.

Her heart sank into her stomach as she watched him rush off to begin the hunt.

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"So, tell me... why did you insist on meeting this early?" Yoon-Gi asked as he approached Jim-In.

Jim-In had requested this sunrise meeting, and the morning was crisp and bright, with only a few early risers scattered about the area.

"Actually, Suga Hyung... I wanted to tell you something. I've tried so many times, but we never seem to see each other outside of those crowded lunch breaks," Jim-In said softly.

Yoon-Gi already suspected what was coming, but he chose to play the fool for a moment longer.

"Okay, tell me now. We're alone." He felt a smirk tugging at his lips but masked it quickly when Jim-In looked up.

He didn't miss the deep crimson flush spreading across Jim-In's cheeks.

"Suga Hyung, the thing is..." Jim-In hesitated, the words catching in his throat.

Yoon-Gi waited with uncharacteristic patience.

For him, this was a perfect morning; he had spent two years admiring Jim-In from a distance, noticing every lingering stare and shy smile.

He knew the feelings were mutual, but he had waited for Jim-In to find his own courage.

"I like you, Suga Hyung."

There it was.

Yoon-Gi beamed as Jim-In immediately spun around, trying to hide his face.

"Oh, c'mon, Chim. Turn around and let me see you." Yoon-Gi placed a firm hand on his shoulder, gently forcing Jim-In to face him.

Jim-In kept his gaze fixed on the ground, radiating embarrassment.

"I like you too, Chim." Yoon-Gi leaned down to his level.

To Yoon-Gi, Jim-In looked small and incredibly endearing; he fought the urge to pull him into a kiss right then and there.

Overjoyed, Jim-In threw himself into Yoon-Gi's arms.

Yoon-Gi pulled him into a crushing embrace, holding him tightly as the world around them seemed to stand still.

After several minutes, they finally stepped back, their eyes locking in a silent, happy promise.

Hand in hand, they began the walk down the valley toward school.

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Once the entire circle of friends had gathered at school, Yoon-Gi and Jim-In made their announcement: "We're together."

"OHHHH!"

The group erupted in cheers, shouting their congratulations to the newest couple.

The excitement was short-lived, however, as the warning bell signaled the start of lectures, and they were forced to disperse.

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The afternoon proceeded smoothly until a man in a state of total devastation appeared at the school's main gate.

The security guard watched him approach with growing suspicion; the stranger appeared intoxicated or severely injured.

The guard stepped forward. "Hey! Who are you? What are you doing here?"

The guard waited, but the mysterious man offered no reply. "Do you need help? Were you attacked? What happened to you?"

Still, there was only silence. The man just stood there, swaying slightly.

"If you have no business here, move along!" the guard snapped, his patience finally expiring.

He gave the man a light, dismissive push.

The stranger finally looked up, and the guard's eyes widened in horror.

The man's face was a mask of gore.

His mouth was filled with what looked like raw human flesh, and the stench of copper and decay rolled off him in waves.

The guard recoiled.

"Hrrr... urrr..." Low, guttural growls were the only sounds the man could produce.

In a heartbeat, the stranger lunged.

He tackled the guard to the ground, his teeth sinking into the man's neck with savage force.

The guard screamed in agony, fighting to shove the attacker off. "Leave me! Are you insane?"

But the man fought with a wild, unnatural strength.

Because the road was empty, no one heard the guard's cries.

Soon, the guard collapsed, blood pooling around his mangled throat.

The stranger stood up and, with a limping, disjointed gait, passed through the gate and entered the school.

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"Now, who can solve this?" Ms Hong asked the class.

She finished writing a complex mathematical formula on the blackboard and waited for a volunteer.

"No one? Very well. Hyung-Sik, come and show us how it's done." Hyung-Sik's face went pale; he loathed mathematics.

His friends struggled to hide their laughter as he trudged toward the front of the room.

He took the chalk from Ms Hong and stared blankly at the board.

'What even is this? I've never seen a formula like this in my life.' He thought, leaning closer to the blackboard as if proximity would grant him insight.

He was still pondering his first move when a teacher burst into the room.

"Ms Hong, you need to come with me immediately. There is an emergency," the newcomer said breathlessly.

"What is it, Ms Choi?" Ms Hong asked, startled. "Why the rush? What's happened to the school?"

"Some of the students are acting... crazily," Ms Choi reported, her voice trembling. "It's like they've been hit by some kind of sudden, instinctive disease."

The atmosphere in the room shifted instantly.

Hyung-Sik and the others grew somber.

As Ms Hong hurried out, Hyung-Sik retreated to his seat.

'What could have happened?' Hyung-Sik thought.

"Someone probably just lost their mind," Jong-Suk joked, trying to break the tension.

The class offered a nervous chuckle.

"The only one who's gone crazy recently is Suga, now that he finally has a boyfriend," Tae-Hyung teased.

"True, but you're just as crazy because Kook is still making you wait," Jack-Son countered.

Everyone laughed, though Tae-Hyung let out a dramatic sigh of longing.

"Oh, please. What about me? I haven't even confessed yet," Jong-Suk added.

"Then you're the worst of all, Sukkie," Hyung-Sik teased.

"Don't forget, you haven't confessed either, MinMin!" Jong-Suk pointed out, causing Hyung-Sik to hide his face in his hands.

"See? Take your own advice before you tease the rest of us," Jong-Suk said, flipping his hair sassily.

The bickering continued until a faint, strained voice reached them from the doorway.

"Guys..." Every head snapped toward the sound.

Standing there was Ji-Eun.

She was a wreck.

Her hair was a bird's nest, her uniform was torn, and her shirt was stained with dark red spatters.

She was gasping for air, her face contorted with pure, unadulterated terror.

Jong-Suk leaped to his feet. "IU! What happened?"

Ji-Eun couldn't answer at first, her lungs burning as she struggled to breathe.

"IU! Talk to me! Why is your shirt torn? Is that... is that blood?" Jong-Suk was becoming frantic.

The entire class fell silent, watching Ji-Eun's distress.

"Sukkie Oppa... Jung-Kook..." Ji-Eun managed to choke out.

Tae-Hyung panicked instantly. "IU, are you okay? What happened to Kook?"

"V Hyung... Kook and Bo-Young..." Ji-Eun's voice failed her as she began to shake.

At the mention of Bo-Young, Hyung-Sik stood up, his own heart racing.

They all pressed Ji-Eun for information, but the girl was too deep in shock to form a coherent sentence.

Jong-Suk pulled her into a protective embrace. "IU, calm down. Please, just breathe."

Tae-Hyung didn't wait.

He bolted from the classroom.

"I'm going with him! Watch over IU!" Hyung-Sik shouted, running after Tae-Hyung.

"I'm coming too," Nam-Joon added, following close behind.

Joong-Ki, Jack-Son, and Yoon-Gi remained, looking to Ji-Eun for an explanation.

After a long minute, Ji-Eun's breathing leveled out.

She gripped Jong-Suk's shirt tightly. "A... a weird—looking man entered the classroom. He attacked Jung-Kook and Bo-Young. Seok-Jin and I tried to stop him... we tried to hold him back, but he tried to bite us too..."

Ji-Eun was trembling so hard she could barely speak.

"Where is he now?" Joong-Ki asked.

"He ran off... but he bit a few other students first. And now they're all acting weird... like... like Monsters."

The word hung in the air.

Jong-Suk continued to rub Ji-Eun's back as the reality set in.

"Where did they go?" Yoon-Gi asked.

"I don't know. Everyone is heading to the infirmary," Ji-Eun replied.

Jong-Suk helped her to his feet, and the group hurried toward the school pharmacy.

When they arrived, they found Tae-Hyung, Hyung-Sik, and Nam-Joon already there.

Jung-Kook and Bo-Young were sitting on the edge of the beds, nurses wrapping bandages around their arms. Jim-In, Seok-Jin, Ho-Seok, and Yeo-Been were busy assisting the medical staff with other students.

Relief washed over them to see their friends alive.

Yoon-Gi rushed to Jim-In, who immediately burst into tears as he was pulled into a hug. Hyung-Sik went straight to Bo-Young, who had jagged scratches along her neck and arms. Nearby, Tae-Hyung was talking softly to Jung-Kook, who was weeping as he recounted the horror of the classroom attack.

"What's the situation?" Jack-Son asked a nurse who was speaking with Ho-Seok in the corner.

"It's a nightmare," Ho-Seok answered for her, his voice grim. "A sick, crazed man attacked them. It's a miracle they weren't bitten; Jung-Kook was injured when he fell over a desk, and Bo-Young was clawed during the struggle."

Jack-Son reached out, taking Ho-Seok's hand. "Are you alright?"

Ho-Seok nodded, but his eyes were filled with worry.

Nam-Joon was occupied with Seok-Jin, who was sobbing uncontrollably.

Nam-Joon held him close, his own face pale with concern.

As the nurses were called away to tend to the teachers, the group was left alone in the pharmacy.

As evening approached, a sudden, violent chaos erupted in the hallway outside.

Tae-Hyung stood up, cautiously stepping out to investigate.

A minute passed in agonizing silence.

Then, the door flew open and Tae-Hyung scrambled back inside, slamming the door shut and throwing the bolt.

Everyone gasped.

Tae-Hyung was drenched in blood.

Crimson handprints marred his white shirt, and his uniform was filthy, as if he had been dragged through the gutters.

His face was a mask of sheer, paralyzing fear.

He leaned against the door, his ragged breathing filling the silent room.

Jung-Kook rushed to his side.

Tae-Hyung looked at his friends, his eyes hollow and haunted. "Guys..."

The room went still.

They waited for him to speak, the tension thick enough to suffocate.

Tae-Hyung looked at each of them in turn before finally whispering. "It's Train to Busan out there."

Silence followed.

Most of the group struggled to process the reference, confused by the cryptic warning.

But Jung-Kook—who had seen the movie years ago—felt a jolt of ice water run through his veins.

His eyes widened.

"What is Train to Busan?" Jack-Son asked, his voice echoing.

From the other side of the door, the sound of scratching and low, wet grunts began to rise.

Jung-Kook turned to Jack-Son, his expression devoid of hope.

"Zombies..." he whispered.

Seconds later, a massive force slammed into the door.

The wood splintered as the lock gave way.

Tae-Hyung was knocked to the floor, crawling backward as the door burst open.

The group watched in paralyzed horror as the things that used to be their classmates stumbled in.

"Zombie" had always been a fictional concept, a movie trope—yet here they were.

These creatures were covered in gore, their jaws working as if chewing on invisible meat, emitting high—pitched, disgusting groans as they limped forward.

Tae-Hyung was the closest.

A zombie lunged for him, but Jung-Kook was faster, hauling Tae-Hyung to his feet just before the creature's teeth could find purchase.

Jung-Kook shoved everyone toward the back of the infirmary, into the secure medicine storage room.

Once they were all inside, Jung-Kook slammed the heavy door and locked it tight.

Tae-Hyung collapsed into Jung-Kook's arms. "Will we survive this?"

Jung-Kook held him firmly.

"Will we die?" Bo-Young sobbed, burying her face in Hyung-Sik's chest.

The fear of death was a cold weight in all of their hearts.

"We will survive," Jung-Kook said, his voice ringing with a sudden, fierce determination. "We aren't going down without a fight. Like the protagonists in the movies—we fight back."

The group looked at him, and slowly, the terror in their eyes began to be replaced by a desperate resolve.

They were scared, but they were together.

They would fight for their lives.

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...Tbc......

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